Taha

Fully licensed medical doctor and experienced medical school tutor, interviewer, lecturer and examiner.

Dr Taha
MBBS(Distinction) PGCE(Merit) FHEA MAcadMEd

My life
- I grew up in London and was fascinated by science and mathematics since my early school days.
- I studied triple science at GCSE, which helped me develop strong foundations and further interest in these subjects.
- My early success led to me studying Biology, Chemistry Physics and Further Mathematics at A-Level.
- Following further academic accolades, I went to study Medicine at university in Brighton.
- At medical school, I started working as a private tutor teaching science, maths and medicine from primary school to undergraduate level.
- I started working for Kaplan (the world leader for standardised test prep) where I received lots of excellent training in the practical methods of teaching UCAT and BMAT and helping students prepare for university interviews.
- After graduating with Distinction, I moved to Scotland to complete the very competitive Academic Foundation Programme.
- Whilst in Scotland, I attended the University of Edinburgh where I received high-quality postgraduate training in Medical Education.
- Following this, I was awarded Honorary Clinical Lectureship at the University of Aberdeen, where I interviewed, taught and assessed medical students.
- Here I was privileged to be recognised for my contribution to medical education and now I am the proud holder of a Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and Membership of the Association of Medical Educators (MAcadMEd).
- Next, I secured the immensely competitive NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship at the University of Exeter, where I conduct my research and teach medical students. My research has been published in leading journals and I have presented it at international conferences to wide audiences.
- I also continue to practice clinical medicine working as a front-line physician in the Accident and Emergency Department at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital.

My qualifications
GCSE: Biology A*, Chemistry A*, Physics A*, Maths A* (and numerous other A*s)
A-Levels: Biology A*, Chemistry A*, Physics A*, Further Mathematics A*
Brighton and Sussex Medical School: Bachelors of Medicine and Bachelors of Surgery MBBS (Distinction)
University of Edinburgh: Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Education (Merit)
University of Exeter: MSc in Health Research Methods (in progress)
I also earned numerous coveted academic prizes along the way; please message me for details as there are too many to list here.

My interests
- I enjoy sports and regularly play badminton and basketball.
- I ride my motorcycle.
- Working for Kaplan, I relished the opportunity to travel all over the British Isles.
- I also like to experiment with cooking various foods.

Tutoring Experience

Private Tutor:
- Since 2013, I teach biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics and medicine to students from primary school to undergraduate level.
- When students are struggling, I employ creative methods to facilitate their learning as I enjoy approaching problems from different angles.
- My teaching is focused to inspire the student in the subject and improve their exam performance.
- Whenever I am tutoring a student, I make sure I am available when needed even if it means providing them reassurance or answering any last-minute questions before the exam.
- I always do everything in my power to enable my students to succeed and excel at teaching difficult topics in a way that is easy to understand.
- Finally, I support my students by providing a thorough understanding of the basics securing an important foundation necessary for further learning.

TEFL:
- Internationally recognised teaching experience,
- I was taught and assessed on teaching groups of students of different abilities and learning styles simultaneously and how to incorporate technology into education.

Kaplan:
- Completed a structured corporate training programme on teaching effectively.
- Lead workshops teaching students interview skills to study Medicine at university.
- Designed and reviewed numerous resources for medical accuracy to help prepare prospective medical students with their university interviews and admissions tests.

Honorary Clinical Fellowship at the University of Aberdeen:
- Responsible for teaching medical students in various formats including traditional lectures, small group teaching, clinical workshops and simulation.
- Written summative medical school exam questions including multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions.
- Performed standard-setting and post-hoc analysis and review of assessment methodology.
- A member of the university admissions’ interview panel interviewing and grading the applicants.

Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education:
- I learned about the theory of teaching (pedagogy) and completed modules evaluating the current evidence base in assessments, curriculum, and the principles of teaching and learning.

NIHR Academic Clinical Fellowship at the University of Exeter:
- Conduct research
- Teach medical students
- OSCE examiner

Tutoring Approach

• First I like to get to know my students including their aspirations and what challenges they are facing.
• I figure out what they are good at as well as the gaps in their knowledge
• I see how they revise and advise proven revision techniques to optimise their preparation.
• If students dislike their subject, perhaps because they find it challenging or because they are discouraged at school, then I try to address this first by starting with the fun and useful aspects.
• I like to build a rapport and often don't set any homework initially as I don't want to overwhelm them from the outset.
• As they get more used to me and the idea of tuition, I slowly crank up the intensity.
• Then I make sure I start pushing them hard (at a level appropriate for them) to get the most out of their lessons.
• I ensure we focus on the most challenging or difficult aspects of the subjects which they would be least likely to tackle independently to make the most of the lessons.
• I teach each lesson specific to course requirements and ensure students are particularly confident with topics which come up frequently in exams. I give significant focus to skills essential in exams. Either at the end of a lesson, or for homework, I test my students understanding with a combination of handwritten and past-paper questions.

My teaching is focused to inspire the student in the subject and improve their exam performance. Whenever I am tutoring a student, I make sure I am available when needed even if that means providing them reassurance or answering any last-minute questions before the exam. I always do everything in my power to enable my students to succeed. Finally, I support my students by providing a thorough understanding of the basics securing an important foundation necessary for further learning.

Please note that all lessons are online.